FIG. 8 CONSTRUCTION OF CON- 

 CRETE FOUNDATION 



6 or 2 by 8 planks. These are sunk into the ground some- 

 what less than their entire width with the regular sills 

 resting upon them. The purpose of the subsill is to keep 

 the frame sill above the ground, thus protecting it from 

 t , r __ i decay to some ex- 



tent, and also pre- 

 venting rats from 

 WISHED FLP. obtaining access to 

 the building. It 

 serves these pur- 

 poses only imper- 

 fectly at best, how- 

 ever, and in prac- 

 tical use has little 

 to recommend it. 



Earth Floors 



Earth floors are 

 used in many poul- 

 try houses, their 



chief recommendation being that they are inexpensive. 

 Where earth floors are to be used, the house should have 

 a solid concrete foundation if possible, carrying it up 

 ten to twelve inches above ground level, the space en- 

 closed being filled in nearly to the sill. 



In order to keep the earth floor dry and warm, there 

 should be a layer of four or five inches of gravel or 

 broken stone at the ground level, with earth filled in on 

 top. Where such floors are used it is necessary to re- 

 move all soiled mateiial at least once a year, and replace 

 it with fresh earth brought in from outside, a laborious 

 and expensive job. Hens confined on earth floors will 

 soon form wallows that may reach to a depth of a foot 

 or more, and it is extremelv difficult to keep the surface 

 of the floor smooth and even another objection to this 

 method of floor construction. 



Clay Floors 



Where stiff clay is available, an excellent and inex- 

 pensive floor can be made by filling in between the foun- 

 dation walls with a few inches of broken stone, on top 

 of which is spread a layer of two or three inches of clay. 

 This should be wet down until it becomes pasty, and 

 while in this condition should be thoroughly tamped, after 



FIG. 9 POULTRY HOUSE WITH HARD 

 CLAY FLOOR 



which it is smoothed off and left to dry undisturbed. 

 When dry, this layer of clay will be very hard, and if 

 protected from moisture and not undermined by rats, will 

 last for many years without icnewal or repairs. The 

 house shown in Fig. 9 is provided with a clay floor 



which has been in use many years, giving complete sat- 

 isfaction. 



Concrete Floors 



For general use no material is as desirable for poul- 

 try-house floors as concrete. It is indestructible when 

 properly made, is rat-proof, easy to clean and sanitary 

 and is dry and warm when properly insulated. 



There are various plans for constructing concrete 

 floors, depending upon the nature of the materials avail- 

 able, but under most conditions the method shown in 

 Fig. 11 will be found satisfactory. Concrete floors 

 should be six to twelve inches above ground level, de- 

 pending upon the nature of the soil. In sandy or gravel- 

 ly locations, six inches may be high enough, but in damp 

 locations or on heavy soils, it is better to have the sur- 

 face of the floor ten or twelve inches above ground level. 



Concrete floors should always be insulated to avoid 

 dampness. As a rule, a layer of several inches of gravel 

 or broken stone is sufficient. In especially damp loca- 

 tions it is advisable 

 to spread one - ply 

 tarred paper on top -j^/FIHISHEbFLoo^ 



of the stone or /"xyo" 3 ~ 



gravel filling, with OUTSIDE w -^ ,1" XT" INSIDE 



the concrete laid 

 directly on this. 

 Concrete floors for 

 poultry houses 

 should be about 

 two and one - half 

 inches thick, with 

 an additional half- 

 inch topping of sand 

 and cement. 



Where cinders are 

 obtainable, they can 

 be used in place 



of stone or gravel, both for the insulating layer an 

 for the concrete base. A concrete floor of cinders i 

 not as strong as when stone is used, but is warmer. DC 

 not use fine ashes from the kitchen stove or the house 

 furnace for this purpose, but the coarse cinders produced 

 at mills and factories generally. 



In laying concrete floors, always provide expansion 

 cracks by dividing the floor into suitable sections and 

 cutting through with a trowel or other instrument. A 

 common practice in laying floors is to divide the surfac< 

 into squares, and lay alternate ones, which are allowed 

 to set before the remaining ones are filled in. Whert 

 this is done, the expansion cracks are automatically taken 

 care of. See Fig. 12. 



Do not attempt to economize on foundations anc 

 floors by skimping in the thickness of the material or tht 

 percentage of cement, thus securing a surface that will 

 crack and give way in use. Neither is it wise to lay 

 concrete floor unless a suitable concrete foundation is 

 provided to support the outer edges and to prevent rats 

 from burrowing underneath. 



Concrete Slab Floors 



A simpler method of providing a concrete floor for 

 the poultry house is by the use of a "concrete slab." The 

 method of constructing this is described by Prof. F. C. 

 Elford, Poultryman for the Dominion of Canada, as 

 follows: 



"No trenches are dug for the foundations. The floor 

 is laid upon the ground, top of the floor being from 10 

 to 15 inches above the surrounding level. To form a 



TRENCH 

 <0"to/2" HIDE. 



.FIG. 10 CONCRETE FOUNDATIO1 

 WITH WIDE FOOTING 



